WHAT IS DISTORTION?
Distortion is the alteration of the original shape (or other characteristic) of an object, image, sound, waveform or other form of information or representation.
When a person's perspective is distorted then their reality is misrepresented, perverted, twisted, falsified, misreported, misstated, garbled, inaccurate; biased, prejudiced, slanted, colored, loaded, weighted, altered, or changed.
WE ARE A SPIRIT LIVING IN A BODY. AS SPIRIT WE NEED TO USE THE MIND OF CHRIST TO RULE THE MIND THAT IS IN OUR BODY. WHEN WE DO THAT WE ARE ABLE TO SEE THINGS FROM A GOD PERSPECTIVE AND GAIN A GOD POINT OF VIEW.
John 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing; the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
John 14:6 Jesus said unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me.
Acts 17:28b ...In Him we live, in him we live, and in Him we exist (have our being).
HOW DOES HUMAN PERSPECTIVE DIFFER FROM GOD’S?
BIBLE READING: Exodus 4:1-17
KEY BIBLE VERSE: “Now go, and do as I have told you. I will help you speak well, and I will tell you what to say.” But Moses again pleaded, “Lord, please! Send someone else.” (Exodus 4:12-13)
HUMAN PERSPECTIVE IS LIMITED; GOD’S IS UNLIMITED.
Moses pleaded with God to let him out of his mission. After all, he was not a good speaker and would probably embarrass both himself and God. But God looked at Moses’ problem quite differently. All Moses needed was some help-and who better than God could help him say and do the right things? God made his mouth and would give him the words to say. It is easy for us to focus on our weaknesses, but if God asks us to do something, then he will help us get the job done. If the job involves some of our weak areas, then we can trust that he will provide words, strength, courage, and ability where needed.
BIBLE READING: Matthew 16:21-28
KEY BIBLE VERSE: Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, and not from God’s.” (Matthew 16:23)
HUMAN PERSPECTIVE TENDS TO BE DISTORTED; GOD’S IS ALWAYS CLEAR.
In his desert temptations, Jesus heard the message that he could achieve greatness without dying (Matthew 4:6). Here he heard the same message from Peter. Peter had just recognized Jesus as Messiah. Here, however, he forsook God’s perspective and evaluated the situation from a human one. Satan is always trying to get us to leave God out of the picture. Jesus rebuked Peter for this attitude.
BIBLE READING: Mark 5:21-43
KEY BIBLE VERSE: He went inside and spoke to the people. “Why all this weeping and commotion?” he asked. “The child isn’t dead; she is only asleep.” (Mark 5:39)
HUMAN PERSPECTIVE IS TEMPORAL; GOD’S PERSPECTIVE IS ETERNAL.
The mourners began to laugh at Jesus when he said, “The child isn’t dead; she is only asleep.” The girl was dead, but Jesus used the image of sleep to indicate that her condition was temporary and that she would be restored.
Jesus tolerated the crowd’s abuse in order to teach an important lesson about maintaining hope and trust in him. Today, most of the world laughs at Christ’s claims, which seem ridiculous to them. When you are belittled for expressing faith in Jesus and hope for eternal life, remember that unbelievers don’t see from God’s perspective.
THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS NOT A VISIBLE, EARTHLY KINGDOM.
The disciples, like most Jews of that day, had the wrong idea of the Messiah’s kingdom as predicted by the Old Testament prophets. They thought Jesus would establish an earthly kingdom that would free Israel from Rome’s oppression, and James and John wanted honored places in it. But Jesus’ kingdom is not of this world; it is centered not in palaces and thrones, but in the hearts and lives of his followers. The disciples did not understand this until after Jesus’ resurrection.
BIBLE READING: Matthew 6:5-15
KEY BIBLE VERSE: May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done here on earth, just as it is in heaven. (Matthew 6:10)
THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS A REALITY NOW.
The phrase “May your Kingdom come soon” is a reference to God’s spiritual reign, not Israel’s freedom from Rome. God’s kingdom was announced in the covenant with Abraham (8:11; Luke 13:28), is present in Christ’s reign in believers’ hearts (Luke 17:21), and will be complete when all evil is destroyed and God establishes the new heaven and earth (Revelation 21:1).
BIBLE READING: Matthew 13:1-58
KEY BIBLE VERSE: [Jesus] explained to them, “You have been permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others have not.” (Matthew 13:11)
THE VALUES OF THE KINGDOM OFTEN RUN COUNTER TO OUR EXPECTATIONS.
All the parables in this chapter teach us about God and his kingdom. For instance, Jesus gives the meaning of the first parable in verses 36-43. Each story explains what the kingdom is really like as opposed to our expectations of it. The kingdom of heaven is not a geographic location, but a spiritual realm where God rules and where we share in his eternal life. We join that kingdom when we trust in Christ as Savior.
THE KINGDOM GROWS ALMOST INVISIBLY AMONG ITS ENEMIES.
The young weeds and the young blades of wheat look the same and can’t be distinguished until they are grown and ready for harvest. Weeds (unbelievers) and wheat (believers) must live side by side in this world. God allows unbelievers to remain for a while, just as a farmer allows weeds to remain in his field so the surrounding wheat isn’t uprooted with them. At the harvest, however, the weeds will be uprooted and thrown away. God’s harvest (judgment) of all people is coming. We are to make ourself ready by making sure that our faith is sincere.
THE KINGDOM WILL ULTIMATELY BE REVEALED IN ITS FULLNESS.
At the end of the world, angels will separate the evil from the good. There are true and false believers in churches today, but we should be cautious in our judgments because only Christ is qualified to make the final separation. If you start judging, you may damage some of the good “plants.” It’s more important to judge our own response to God than to analyze others’ responses.
CITIZENSHIP IN GOD’S KINGDOM IS OUR MOST VALUABLE POSSESSION.
The kingdom of heaven is more valuable than anything else we can have, and a person must be willing to give up everything to obtain it. The man who discovered the treasure in the field stumbled upon it by accident but knew its value when he found it. The merchant was earnestly searching for the pearl of great value and, when he found it, sold everything he had to purchase it.
GOD DETERMINES WHO WILL BE IN HIS KINGDOM.
The parable of the fishing net has the same meaning as the parable of the wheat and weeds. We are to obey God and tell others about his grace and goodness, but we cannot dictate who is part of the kingdom of heaven and who is not. This sorting will be done at the Last Judgment by those infinitely more qualified than we are.
WE CAN LIVE AS CITIZENS OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN TODAY.
Anyone who understands God’s real purpose in the law as revealed in the Old Testament has a real treasure. The Old Testament points the way to Jesus, the Messiah. Jesus always upheld its authority and relevance. But there is a double benefit to those who understand Jesus’ teaching about the kingdom of heaven. This was a new treasure that Jesus was revealing. Both the old and the new teaching give practical guidelines for faith and for living in the world. The religious leaders, however, were trapped in the old and blind to the new. They were looking for a future kingdom preceded by judgment. Jesus, however, taught that the kingdom was now and the judgment was future. The religious leaders were looking for a physical and temporal kingdom (via military rebellion and physical rule), but they were blind to the spiritual significance of the kingdom that Christ brought.
BIBLE READING: Luke 12:22-34
KEY BIBLE VERSE: He will give you all you need from day to day if you make the Kingdom of God your primary concern. So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom. (Luke 12:31-32)
THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS THE KINGSHIP OF CHRIST.
Seeking the kingdom of God means making Jesus the Lord and King of your life. He must control every area-your work, play, plans, relationships. Is the kingdom only one of your many concerns, or is it central to all you do? Are you holding back any areas of your life from God’s control? As Lord and Creator, he wants to help provide what you need as well as guide how you use what he provides.